


Vina del Mar, Chile: 2013 (Adulation)

by krisherdown



Series: Travelogue Anthology [9]
Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisherdown/pseuds/krisherdown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pico should be used to the weight of Rafa’s presence by now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vina del Mar, Chile: 2013 (Adulation)

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place the day Rafa lost both the singles and doubles finals in Vina del Mar, his first tournament back on tour.

Pico should be used to the weight of Rafa’s presence by now.  It’s possible he’d forgotten or resided in denial while Rafa had been recuperating.  Sure, Pico had visited Rafa in Mallorca, even vacationed with him, but it’s not the same.  
   
Pico is definitely unprepared to handle being nextto Rafa on a tennis court, having not played doubles with him in a long time.  It feels like he is the backup singer for a rock star, essential to a successful performance but by no means the reason the audience bought the tickets.   
   
He would hate to say out loud but he’s usually felt that way when they’re opponents as well, if the scores have been any indication.  
   
What he truly never expected was to be the one to have to carry his larger-than-life pal through a doubles final.  Pico cannot believe, nor can anyone else in the world, that Rafa was two points from winning the final and ended up losing… but did it have to be to _Horacio?_ A guy Pico has hazed during Davis Cup by having him serenade Nalbandian with the song “Poker Face”?  Of course, Rafa claimed that he was ready to put the singles final behind him but that obviously wasn’t true from the moment Rafa walked back onto the court.  
   
None of the events of today will matter later.  They’ll take a flight to Sao Paulo for the next tournament, Pico’s arm draped over Rafa’s shoulder as the younger man will drift off, unfazed by the drama from the day’s events.   
   
If it was only so easy for Pico to block everything out.


End file.
